Baker's Man
by OnceWereGreen
Summary: A Norman Reedus fanfic. Norman is driving home one night and meets a woman that he wasn't prepared for. Will she let the hurts of her past keep him from getting close, and can Norman help her see the light at the end of the tunnel? I suck at summaries, but it's a cute story set in GA while TWD is being filmed. Rated M for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1

**Hi everyone! However you ended up at my little story, thanks for checking it out. I love all things The Walking Dead and Norman Reedus. And honestly I may have imagined meeting him more than once. ;) It may start out slow, but I'll be building to more Anna/Norman interaction and complications. I started out writing this just for me but decided I'd post it here in case there were any other readers looking for a Norman fanfic. Hope you guys enjoy, and I'd appreciate any thoughts you have. Thanks!**

I'm exhausted. If it wasn't for the fact that the scenes I was shooting today were badass, I probably would have passed the fuck out. Early morning phone interviews and late evening set time is a rough combination. I got on the Triumph and headed to my home away from home. Not a fan in sight. Combo of the late hour and newly posted signs I suspect. I let myself melt into the bike. Nothing like an evening ride to clear and relax my mind.

A car in the distance snapped me to life. Shit, that sucks. Blowing a tire in BFE this late at night. I saw a pair of pink flip flops come into view. Shit, had to stop now. I would hate for my mom to be stuck out here alone. I put the bike in park and hopped off.

"Thanks for stopping, but I've got this. I appreciate the thought though." a hidden voice said. I couldn't help but smile.

"You sure? It's really not a problem."

"Honey, I was raised in this area. My daddy taught me to change a tire as soon as I got my license. It's a bitch but it's no thing," she said confidently.

I smiled again and crossed my arms. I had to meet this girl. Regardless of her confidence, no way in hell I was going to leave a woman out on a back road alone in the middle of the night. Horror movies start with shit like that. I guess when she didn't hear my bike start back up, she got suspicious.

"Listen, guy, I said I have this, so you can go. However, if you have other plans, you should know I have a tire iron and I played ball all through college," she said while coming into view.

I raised my hands in surrender, trying to let the smile on my face show I meant no harm. "Whoa. Whoa, Slugger. I just didn't want to leave a lady alone on a dark deserted road."

"Fuck." she uttered and dropped the iron. I laughed; she must have recognized me.

"My bark is worse than my bite. Usually." she said smiling the most beautiful smile I'd ever seen. I took a second to take her in. She couldn't have been more than 5'4" or 5" with short brunette hair pulled up in a ponytail. Showing the perfect amount of sun kissed skin and friendly brown eyes. A few visible tattoos. Perfect. I was guaranteed to act like an idiot now.

"Well your bark was pretty impressive. Seems like you can handle yourself, but I'd still like to stick around, if you don't mind. There could be sickos out here," I paused when she laughed, "me, not being one of them. Hi, I'm Norman," I said reaching out to shake her hand.

She wiped her hand on her shorts before taking my hand in hers, "Yeah, Norman Reedus. We all know you around here. Hi, I'm Annalise Baker. You can call me Anna. Sorry for the grease."

"Look at me. A little extra clean up really won't be a problem," I laughed.

"Yeah, you look like hell. Are you in a zombie apocalypse or something?" she smirked. I loved a smartass.

"You know it. That and these bastards keep chasing me around." I teased back.

"Really? Don't give me too many spoilers now. Well, I should really get this changed, so if you're set on sticking around, have a seat and keep me company." she said pointed to a the grass near her and crouching back down to focus on the tire.

"I really don't mind helping," I said walking around to her. She arched an eyebrow at me and waved me on. I couldn't help but smile. I took a seat near her and watched her work. She really had done the hard part already. The only thing left to do was tighten a few nuts and put the car back down.

I admired a woman who could take care of herself. My mom showed me the importance of that. Anna seemed very different from most women I'd been attracted to. I guess in this industry you are around so many people who are used to having things done for them, that self-reliance gets overlooked sometimes. And that dependence had become tiresome. The last relationship I had was draining. She was just too young; I knew that going into it, but it didn't stop me. I was tired of bringing people into Mingus' life who weren't going to be there long.

"Hey. Norman. Ya still there?" Anna asked peaking around to see me. She must have asked me a question.

"Sorry, yeah. Just kinda zoned; long day. What was that?"

"I asked if you could grab the towel in my back seat, please? And a preemptive 'don't judge me' is in order." she said with a laugh.

"Sure," I said and made my way to back. Damn, she had a lot of shit in here. I couldn't help but laugh a little. Water bottles, make-up, books, gym bag, baking sheets; what didn't she have in here. Her warning now made sense.

"Here ya go, Slugger." I said tossing her the towel. She lowered the jack and stood up wiping her hands off.

"So the knick-name is sticking, huh?"

"Oh, for sure," I said smiling.

She shifted from one foot to the other and finally said, "Well, I should get going. I have an early morning, and I'm sure you'd like to get home and clean up."

I really didn't though. I wanted nothing more than to stay and get to know this woman. I was getting ready to ask if I could see her sometime when her phone rang.

"Hey. No, I'm on my way. Just had a flat. No, I got it changed and someone stopped to check on me," she smiled and looked at me, "Yeah, I'll text you when I get home. Love you too. Bye." She had a boyfriend. And why wouldn't she; she seemed great. Damn, just my luck. She walked to the drivers side, and I opened her door.

"Thanks for stopping tonight. It was nice to have the company. And I'd be lying if I didn't say it was great meeting you," she giggled. She was so cute.

"You're welcome. What kind of guy would I have been if I'd just drove by? It was nice to meet you, Anna. Drive safe and maybe I'll run into you again sometime." I really hoped so.

"Maybe. You too, Norman." She said and slid into the car. I stepped aside so she could drive off. I turned to walk back to my bike.

"Hey Norman!" she shouted. I turned back to her. "Daryl has always been my favorite." she said with a smile and drove off.

I just stood then watching her drive off. I was her favorite huh. Damn, I was going to dream of those brown eyes tonight I thought as I started my bike.


	2. Chapter 2

My phone woke me up way to early.

"Fuck." I muttered and reached for my phone. Why hadn't I put it on vibrate?

"What do you want?" I mumbled after seeing who it was. I pulled the blankets over my head to shut out the light.

"Aww, is Normi grumpy this morning?" Andy laughed from the other end.

"Damn, right I am. You call and wake my ass up at," I glance at the clock, "shit, 8:30 when I didn't even leave the studio until 3."

"Sorry brother, but I need a favor." Andy said. Shit, there was never anything simple about Andy's favors. "What do you need?" I groaned.

"I have an early call or I would do it myself, but today is Nicotero's birthday and I need you to pick up this cake we had ordered." he said.

"Fuck, a cake man. Can't you just have that delivered?" I mumbled.

"Closed set, remember man."

"What time do I need to get it?" I asked.

"I told the lady it would be picked up around 11." he said quickly.

"Fine man. I'll get it. Where do I need to go?"

"Baker's Dozen. New place in Senoia near the diner. Thanks man, I gotta go."

"No problem. See you later." I set an alarm and drifted back off to sleep dreaming of cakes and flat tires.

The drive into town was a quiet one. Sometimes I run into a few fans who managed to find the road I live on. My fans are great; some are intense, but most are very kind and encouraging. I'm pretty lucky. I waved to some people who recognized me while driving through town. Baker's Dozen wasn't hard to find, but a parking spot was. Damn this place must me good, I thought. The place was packed. "This cake better be worth it." I said and walked inside.

It smelled like heaven. Ok maybe sugar and chocolate, but for me, that was close enough. There was art all over. Some of people baking, desserts, scenery and other things. The case held sweets galore; cookies, cupcakes, pies, breads. I took my place at the back of the line and commenced my favorite past time, people watching. I had my Ray Bans on and was pretending to look at my phone, so observing people was pretty easy. People probably didn't know I watched them as much as they watched me. Then I noticed the first table to recognize me; they were pointing, whispering and trying to snap some pictures.

I was almost to the front of the line when I heard a quiet, "Excuse me." come from behind me. I turned around to see a young girl with familiar eyes looking nervous. "Hi, Sweetheart. What's up?" I said giving her a smile. I was rewarded with a smile in return. Kid fans are my favorite.

"I was wondering if you'd sign my notebook," she asked holding out a doodled on book.

"Sure." I said taking the book from her. I flipped it open and saw there were drawings on almost every page. The were quite good. "Did you draw all these, Sweetie?" She nodded timidly. "These are great. You have quite the talent. Can I sign any of these pages?" She smiled and nodded. I chose a killer drawing of SpongeBob when she quietly said, "I drew a picture of Daryl."

"Really? Is it in here?" she nodded and reached for the book. She found the drawing and handed the book back to me. It was beautiful and sad. She had chosen to draw Daryl sitting on the porch when he was talking to Beth. He looked vulnerable and sad. She had managed to capture two of the qualities I tired to give Daryl. "This is beautiful," I said honestly. "I'll sign this for you, but do you think sometime I could get a copy of this?" she smiled. "I would really like to put it in my fan art book. With your parents permission of course," a hint of sadness crossed her face but soon disappeared.

"Really?" she asked and I nodded. "I'll ask my mom. I used to watch The Walking Dead with my dad every Sunday."

"That's cool. I watch it with my son too. What's your name, Honey?"

"Liza, with one z."

"Cool name." I said while writing her a little something and signing my name. "Is your mom here? I could talk to her if you'd like." She nodded and ran off just at I noticed I was next. "Hi, I'm here to pick up a cake under Andy." The woman behind the counter just stared for a moment and then came to.

"Right. Cake. Hey, Lisy! Will you bring up the Dead cake, please?" She shouted to the back. "It'll just be a minute. Would you like anything else?" I looked in the case at the cupcakes. One caught my eye and made me laugh.

"Wake the Dead?" I asked.

She laughed, "One of our most popular. Vanilla cake mixed with ground espresso beans and a chocolate butter cream with a raspberry swirl." She said while grabbing one out of the case. "On the house. For everything The Walking Dead has done for the town. Oh, here's your cake." A woman was carry a large box out of the kitchen.

"Shit, this cake is heavy. Phew" She said placing it on the counter.

"Slugger?"

"Oh, Norman," she said brushing hair from her surprised face. "I was expecting Mr. Lincoln."

"Yeah, he had an early shoot and asked me to swing by. Do you work here?" I asked. I loved a woman who could bake.

"Actually I own this. Baker's Dozen. Get it?" she smiled.

"Clever. I like it." I couldn't stop smiling at her.

"Lisy, you know Norman Reedus?" The woman at the counter said in shock.

Anna laughed. "Yeah, I threatened him with a tire iron," the blond woman looked horrified. "Rachel. Norman. Norman. Rachel. This is my best friend and partner in crime."

"Nice to meet you, Rachel," I said reaching out to shake her hand.

"Meet you to nice." she said turning red. "Shit. Nice to meet you. I knew I'd act like an idiot if I ever met someone from the show, Lisy. Excuse me, I'll just go over here." I laughed. I followed Anna when she motioned for me to come near the kitchen.

"The baking sheets make sense now," I said.

"What?" she looked confused. "Oh right, my car. No judgment, remember." She said pointing a finger out to touch my chest. "Wanna see the cake?"

"Yeah, definitely." I said while she walked over to the large box.

"Now Mr. Lincoln picked this out, so if it sucks we'll blame it on him. okay?" she said while taking the box apart.

"That's amazing!" I said in awe. It looked like a wedding cake but it was dark. There were walkers all over it. But when I looked closer I saw all the walkers where different Dead characters. There was Rick, Michonne, Glenn, Maggie and me. There was also a terrified man at the top. It was Greg and the cake read, 'Happy Birthday. Kill us and it's your last.' "This cake is badass! He's going to love it. You're incredibly talented, Anna."

She blushed. "Thanks. I love doing it."

"Mom, do you have a minute now?" a girl said from the kitchen.

"Sure, Peanut. Come here. What's up?" Anna said. She was a mom. My heart sunk a little; the fact that she was taken becoming more cemented.

"Please don't call me Peanut." The familiar girl said walking up to Anna.

"Liza?" I said in surprise.

"Oh, um, Mr. Reedus. Well this makes it easier. Mom, Mr. Reedus was wanting to speak with you about one of my drawings. I saw him when he walked in and asked him to sign my sketchbook." she said looking down.

"Oh really? Liza, what have I told you about talking to people you don't know?" Anna said scolding her daughter.

"But Mom, I was surrounded by people, and how often do I get the chance to show the guy who plays Daryl my drawings!" she was quick to respond. I smiled a little watching Anna relax.

"Fine, but next time you want to talk to some random person, come find me first, eh?" she said nudging her daughter. "So I hear that you would like to speak with me."

"As a matter of fact yes. Liza was showing me her Daryl drawing. She's quiet talented, by the way, and after seeing that cake, I can say I'm not surprised. I'm putting together a fan art book."

"I know. I follow you on Twitter," she said blushing a little.

I laughed, " Okay then you know about it. I'd like to put Liza's drawing of Daryl in Volume 1." Liza was pulling on Anna's arm excitedly.

"Please, Momma." the girl asked.

"Momma? Pulling out the big guns huh? Sure, Peanut. That's awesome!" Anna said pulling Liza in for a side hug. "What do you need me to do, Norman?"

"I just need a copy of the drawing. Which I can make, or I can swing by and pick it up later. And I'll need you to fill out a few disclosures and permission papers. It'll be easiest to email those to you. My friend is keeping those all logged electronically. Do you have a phone handy; I can add my number so you can let me know if you have any questions." I didn't want to ask a married woman for her number.

She handed me her phone; I punched in my number and handed it back to her.

"I better go. I think everyone was going to meet at the studio around noon to give Greg the cake. I'm sure if your cupcakes taste as good as your cake looks you'll be seeing more of the cast. They have a crazy sweet tooth; crafty barely keeps up." I said holding up my cupcake container.

"Looks like this is goodbye then." she said jokingly.

"Liza, it was a pleasure to meet such an incredible little artist. Thank you for sharing your work with me." Anna smiled and Liza blushed. "And ,Slugger, it was great seeing you again. Just let me know when I can pick up the copy."

"I'll text you soon. Thanks Norman," Anna said placing a hand on my arm and giving me a knowing look.

I nodded and said, "Bye, Ladies. Bye, Rachel. Thanks for the cupcake." The blond blushed and waved bye.

I was almost to the door when I thought of something. "Hey, Anna," she turned around. "Do I follow you on Twitter?" She smiled and shock her head no. "Text me your handle." I said and then walked out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

I was so freaking nervous that I was going to drop that cake. It was a monster. I pulled into the studio lot and took a second to check my texts I had gotten. Here we go, an unsaved number. _' Bakersdoitbest CupcakeQueen:)'_ I laughed. That was cute. _'Where the hell are you man?'_ Andy was so high strung. _'Call me. I miss you ;)' _Damnit, Cecelia was texting me again. I stuck my phone in my pocket and walked around to bring in the cake.

Greg was so surprised. Everyone was impressed with the cake and asked a bunch of questions. Steven stole half of my cupcake, that fucker. It was damn good too. I didn't have to film today, so I watched some of the scenes being filmed. This season was going to kick ass!

"Norm, thanks for grabbing the cake man. Want to grab some drinks when I'm done. About 5?" Andy asked.

"Sure, dude. I'll just crash in my room until then. Come wake me up when you're finished." I turned to walk away. "Andy, did the owner take the order for the cake?"

"Yeah, a short, pretty, brunette? Annalise I think. She was nice. Very talented. Why?"

"No reason. I'll see you later." I turned and walked to my dressing room. It wasn't huge, but it had a comfortable couch and a TV so I could sleep and kill some time. I laid on the couch and turned on the TV. I quickly turned it off when I couldn't find anything on; daytime TV sucked. I pulled out my phone and decided to look up Anna on Twitter.

She had a cute picture of herself up and one of her blowing flour at someone taking the picture of her as the cover photo. Her bio read_, 'Just a Georgia girl trying to find her way back home. Baker, child herder, and TWD fan.'_ I scrolled down to read her last few tweets.

_'Alarm clocks are a tool of the devil.' 6hrs ago_

_ 'You wouldn't even freaking believe me Twitterverse. #NR' 9 hrs ago._ NR for Norman Reedus. She had tweeted about me. I couldn't stop a smile form coming across my face.

_'Sunday nights are always hard for my little girl.' 1 day ago._ Hmm...I wonder what that was about.

'I'm _gonna make these 300 cupcakes my bitch! #WTFwasIthinking 3 days ago._ She was beautiful and funny. And taken I had to remind myself.

_'I may or may not have just spent 30 mins with #AndrewLincoln! Now where's #NormanReedus ;)_ _7 days ago_. I almost spit out my tea when I read this.

I decided to look through her photos. There were lots of pictures of cupcakes and cakes she's made. There was one of Liza. Oh, and here's one with her hugging a little boy. The caption read 'My little Domino and me.' Oh wow, she had a little boy too. Looked to be about 7 or so. Unlike Liza, the boy had bright blue eyes. I couldn't stop looking through the photos; I wanted to know more about this woman. My eyes almost bugged out when I saw her with another little boy about 4 or 5. The caption read 'My baby boy Cas and me.'

She had three kids. Wow, she had her hands full. I remember what is was like when Ming was those ages, and I only had 1. Part of me wished Ming had a brother or sister, but it just hadn't been in the cards. There was no one since Helena that I even considered having children with.

I went as far back in her tweets as I could.

_'I wish you were here...' June 17. _I wonder who she was talking about.

I hit the follow button, set it up so I get her notifications and sent her a DM. _'I'm officially your follower. Your cupcake was delicious; Steven stole 1/2 of it.'_

I shut the app and decided to get some sleep. Before I could even drift off, my phone alerted me. It was a DM from Anna. _'Yes! Rachel will be so jealous. That punk. I'll get you some more soon.'_ I smiled.

_'I'll hold you to that. What's Rachel's handle?' _I sent back

_'No way! Make her sweat for a while!'_ She sent.

_'LOL. You're the boss.' _I replied

_'Really though, thanks for today. Liza was almost in tears when you left. You don't know what this means to her. Thank you, Norman.'_ She sent.

_'You're welcome. It was all her really. I'd have been a fool not to put her in my book. She's so talented, Anna.'_ I wrote honestly.

I got a notification that Anna tweeted. _'Is this really my life?!' 30 sec ago._ I liked the tweet.

'_Oh_ _my gosh! Norman Reedus liked my tweet. ;)'_ She sent me.

_'That loser? LOL' _I replied.

_'Watch it mister. Those are fighting words. Work tomorrow?'_ She asked.

_'Haha. Yep, gotta be in Senoia at 7:30. We're filming at a house.'_ I sent back

_'Cool. Stop by the shop in morning? Maybe around 6:30 if you're up early enough? I'll send you in with some goodies.'_ She sent

I smiled. _'Sure. Thanks, and I can grab the drawing.'_

_'Welcome. Least I can do. I've already had 3 orders from cast and crew thanks to you and Andrew.'_ She replied.

My heart dropped a little. She was just doing it to thank us. She's married Norman, stop reading into this. Besides I'm not 'that guy.'

_'Hey, I only ate it. You baked it.' _I sent back

_'Ok, fair enough. I gotta go. We're closing up.'_ She sent.

_'See you in the morning. Have a good night. :)'_ I sent

_'You too! :)'_

I decided to send out a tweet. _'Sweets get me every time. Thanks Slugger.'_ With a picture of me taking a bite out of my Wake the Dead cupcake. About a minute later I get the notification that CupcakeQueen liked and commented on my tweet_. 'Looks good ;)'_ I decided to mess with her and tweeted back. _'Me or the cupcake? ;)'_ That made my fans go crazy for a second.

I got the alert to her tweet again. _'Jury's still out. :p'_

I went through some other tweets and followed some fans that caught my eye and then answered a dozen or so DM's. I don't understand actors that don't interact with their fans. The fans are why they are where they to begin with. Now it was really time to sleep and maybe dream of some friendly brown eyes.

Andy woke me up a few hours later saying he was going to jump in the shower and then he was ready to go. Shit I had slept like 3 hours and I had a missed call from Mingus. The phone was rang twice before my song picked up.

"Hey Dad." he said.

"Hey Bud, what's going on? You having a good day?" I asked. I really missed my son when I was away. Luckily he would be spending a week a month with me this summer.

"Nothing much. Mom said we have to go to dinner with some guy who wants to commission her to do some pieces. Today was boring. When can I come down to see you?" he asked.

I couldn't help but smile, "Next week, Ming. I emailed a ticket to your mom. You get the new skateboard I sent you?"

"Yeah, it's sick. All the guys want one just like it." he said sounding pleased.

"They're outta luck. That was designed just for you. One of kind." I said.

"Awesome. Thanks Dad. How are things going down there? Having any fun?"

"Things are good. I had the day off, but I'm up at the studio. I met this girl a few years younger than you that is an amazing artist. I'm going to put one of her drawings in my book." Ming would have liked Liza's drawings. It looked they had similar tastes in things.

"That's cool, Dad. Hey, Mom's calling. I gotta get ready. Don't work too hard; have some fun. I'll see you next week. Love ya."

"Love you too. See ya soon, Buddy." I ended the call and got up to check on Andy. I knocked and walked on it. "You done primpin yet?" I said sitting down on his couch and grabbing a handful of candy he had sitting out. This man always had candy laying around.

"Just about, man. It was a hard day." he shouted from the bathroom.

"Yeah, that cake break must have been a bitch." I replied.

"Dick. But that cake was awesome. Can't believe people can make things like that just to have people eat it." he said walking out of the bathroom.

"Yeah. The cupcakes were good too. We should pick some up for the girls sometime. They'd love them." I said thinking of anyway to get back to the bakery.

"Sure. Where do you want to go tonight? Pizza, wings, Social Club?" he asked.

"Lets go to Southern Ground. Want me to drive?" I asked.

"Sure man, lets go. I'll text Cudlitz. I think he's going to meet us later when he's done."

We headed out to my Jeep, but my head was back at that bakery. She hadn't tweeted since we talked earlier and I considered DMing her, but I tried to think how I would feel if a man was DMing my wife. I frowned.

"Who pissed in your cheerios?" Andy asked smirking.

"What? Nothing man. Just thinking. Cecilia text me this morning," I said to distract him.

"What the hell did she want? You didn't text her back did you?" He asked. Andy never did like her.

"I don't know what she wanted. Asked me to call her." I replied.

"You gonna?"

"I don't know. Probably not." I said noncommittally

"The correct answer is No. She was too young for you Norman. You need to find someone a little older. Less what's the right word? Vapid." He said.

"Shut up man, she wasn't that bad," she really was though.

"Whatever you say." He laughed climbing into the Jeep.


	4. Chapter 4

The Club wasn't too busy. We walked in and Travis gave us a nod from behind the bar. He had gotten used to some of us dropping in from time to time. We walked back to the corner booth we tend to always sit at. Laura made her way over. "Hey guys. What can I get ya?" Laura was an older woman with mischief in her eyes. She usually gave us a hard time when were in.

"Hey Laura. I'll take a Corona with lime and a shot of Jack, please." I said. Might was well get my drinkin in early.

"It's a shot kinda night, huh? I'll make sure to keep the fangirls at bay. Hate to see you end up on TMZ." she teased me.

"You keep the fangirls away and I promise I'll stay of TMZ." I laughed.

"Hey Laura. I'll take a Heineken please. Thanks love." Andy said. He knew Laura couldn't resist his accent.

"Sure thing, Honey. The usual to eat?"

"Yep." We both said.

"So when is Mingus coming down?" Andy asked. He missed his kids as much as I did.

"Next week. I'm going to bring him to set a few times and take him around on my off days. He's ready to get out of New York." I explained.

"He misses you man. You had the movie right before you came back here. Probably excited to spend some time with you. You ever talk to Danai about that friend she has in the area." He said taking a drink of his beer.

"I miss him too, and no I did not. And I don't plan on it. I don't do blind dates." I said drinking my shot.

"I'm telling you ya just need a someone who is more woman than girl. Hell, you're almost 45. When are you planning on settling down?" Andy was always trying to marry me off. Dick.

"Maybe this is as settled as I get. It's not like I'm some ladies man out there with a different girl every night. I just haven't found one who I can picture spending forever with. Maybe it's like waiting for you to get a Twitter; pointless" I explained. Part of me really longed for what Andrew had, but then I see ones that fall apart like mine and Helena, and I think why risk it.

"I think you hold back. And if you ever settle down, I'll get a Twitter. Hey, that woman at that far table is staring at you." He tells me and shifts his eyes towards to the door.

I sighed and glance over. Oh, it's Rachel. I wave, and she waves back, so I signal for her to come over. Andy looks shocked.

"Rachel, nice to see you again." I said trying to make her feel comfortable. "Are you meeting someone, or would you care to join us?"

"Oh, I'm waiting for Lisy, but I wouldn't mind joining you until she shows up. It's a wonder I even got her to agree to come out," she said sliding into the booth next to me. Anna would be here. It was like a sweet kind of torture. Being around her, but knowing she had a husband. I noticed Rachel staring at Andy like he was Bigfoot.

"Rachel, this is Andrew Lincoln. Andy, this is Rachel. I met her at the bakery when I picked up the cake." I explained.

"Annalise, the owner is by best friend. I was so jealous when she told me she had a meeting with you to discuss a cake." Rachel said. "I still can't believe I'm sitting here with you 2. My bitchy cousins would never believe me. In fact, can we maybe take a picture?" she asked shaking her phone.

"Yeah, no problem. Nothing like photographic evidence." Andy said while sliding around the circular bench towards us.

"Say 'walkers'." Rachel said while holding her phone out. I quickly decided to flip off the camera. She turned her phone around to check out the picture. She laughed. "Nice. What would a selfie with Norman Reedus be without him flipping someone off?" She said with a smile. Just then her phone chimed. "That's gonna be Lisy making up some excuse for why she can't come out. If I ignore it, she'll end up coming."

"I thought women loved girl's nights," Andy said while taking a drink of his beer.

"Lisy, isn't like most women." she said with and undertone of sadness. Just then her phone started ringing.

"Here, let me answer it." I said holding my hand out for the phone.

"Hey, Slugger." I answered

"_Norman? Wha...I'm sorry I'm must have dialed you by mistake." _she said sounding confused.

"Nope. I'm here with Rachel. We ran into her at the Club." I waited for her to respond.

"_Oh um, can I speak with Rachel, please._" She asked.

"Sure. She's sitting in the back booth with us. Come down and talk to her." I replied.

"_Well that's the thing. I don't think I'm going to be able to make it out tonight._" She said. Andy grabbed the phone and hit speaker.

"Hello, Annalise. This is Andrew Lincoln. Listen, Rachel told us you would make up some rubbish excuse to not come out, so let's cut to the chase. There will be a shot and your drink of choice waiting for you at our table. And the company's not too bad. What do you say?" Andrew said smiling into the phone.

Silence. "_Amaretto sour. Be there in 15_." she said before ending the call. Like I said, woman couldn't resist his accent.

"Done." Andy said handing the phone back to Rachel.

"Brilliant." she said clapping her hands.

"What are we drinking, people?" Cudlitz said walking up to the table. Josh, and Lauren were right behind him.

"He man," I said shaking his hand. "Didn't know we'd have the whole cast here tonight."

"Yeah, they said they could all use a drink too." Cudlitz said sliding in next to Andy.

"Hey Travis," I said to the guy behind the bar. "Think we could take this to the pool room?"

"Sure, man. Close the door up. I'll take care of ya." Travis responded. With all of us here, it wouldn't be long before people found out. The pool room was more closed off; we could enjoy some drinking in private.

"Thanks man." I said motioning for Rachel to stand up. "There's a woman coming up that will be looking for us. Name's Annalise. Send her on back please." Travis gave me a strange look but nodded.

I shut the door to the room and took a seat on one of the bar stools.

"Rachel this is Michael, Josh and Lauren." I said introducing everyone. "Rachel helped make that cake today."

"No shit?" Josh said. "That cake was awesome."

"Thanks. Lisy does most of the decorating. But I make a killer cupcake." she said. "I can't believe this is fucking happening! Shit, I said that out loud." she put her hand over her mouth.

We all laughed. My Twitter alert went off. It was Anna. _'Damn British accents!'_

I DM'd her. _'You're not the first to fall for it. Don't feel bad.'_

She replied, _':) You know, you're crashing girl's night.'_

_'I know. Sorry bout that.'_ I answered.

_'It's ok. Gotta drive. See ya in a bit.' _

"Who wants to play some pool?" Michael asked. "Partners?" he said to Lauren.

"We'll take you guys," Josh said looking towards Rachel to back him up. She nodded in surprise.

I knew that look. Josh thought Rachel was cute. And she was, but I was only interested in talking to one Senoian. And she was fuckin takin.

Andy and I sat back and ate our wings while the others shot some pool. Over the noise of my friends, I heard a familiar voice. "Rachel?"

"Hey, Lisy!" the blond said running over to her friend. She drug her over to the group. "They thought it'd be best to come back here. People would swarm them if we stayed up front. I know I would have." Rachel said with a laugh.

"Oh." was all Anna said.

Andy walked over to her, "Glad you could me it." He handed her 2 drinks. "As promised. Amaretto Sour and a shot of Jack."

She took the drinks and tipped back the shot. "Thanks." she said.

"Well alright then. Annalise, this is Michael, Josh and Lauren." Andy introduced the group.

"Anna, please." she said.

"Hi, Anna. Your cake today was amazing. Thank you." Lauren said with a smile. Anna smiled. "Let's finish this game."

"Be done soon." Rachel said squeezing her friends arm.

"Hey Slugger." I said when she walked over. She rolled her eyes. "Wing?" I offered. I noticed Andy lift an eyebrow in silent question. I ignored him.

"Sure." she said grabbing one and taking a seat. She looked lost in thought.

"So why didn't you want to come out tonight?" I asked hoping to learn a little more about this woman.

"This was where I met my husband." she said simply.

"Fighting?" I asked feeling like I was missing something.

"No." she said with a sad smile. "Want to shot some pool?" she asked officially ending that conversation.

"Sure. But fair warning, I played a lot of pool in my 20's." I said

She smiled, "Noted."

"Want me to rack them?" I asked.

"I can handle the balls just fine," I couldn't help but smile. " I mean pool balls." she said blushing.

"Noted." I said with a laugh. She shoved me lightly. "Want to make this interesting?" I asked. She arched an eyebrow at me. "For each ball we sink the other has to answer a question."

"Do we have one pass?" she asked. I shrugged me shoulders in acceptance.

"You're on. I'll break" she said walking to the other end of the table.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! Realized I hadn't even written a thank you to those of you who have read the last few chapters. I just couldn't stop thinking of this story, so I had to write it down. I also love love love Norman Reedus! :) So yeah, let me know what you think. I know I may regret saying that later. BTW, this is my favorite chapter so far. **

By the time she sunk 4 balls in a row, I realized I had been hustled. The others soon gathered around our table. Andy was sitting back laughing.

"That's 5." she said walking around for another shot.

"You know omitting to tell me you were a poll shark, wasn't really fair." she missed her shot. "I at least told you I used to play."

"Never give up the advantage." she said with a shrug of her shoulders. I lined up my shot an sunk my first ball. She nodded in approval.

Shit. I got nothing. I took a long shot and missed as expected.

"Boooo!" Cudlitz said. I flipped him off.

I noticed Rachel had taken a seat by Andy. They seemed to be having a serious conversation. Andy nodded at whatever the blond was saying.

"Last one." I heard Anna say. My head snapped back over to the table. Fuck, she was good. She walked over to me to line up her shot. "You're gonna owe me 8 questions, Reedus." my heart skipped a beat when she called me by my last name.

In order to get the best angle she had to stand right next to me. I didn't move to offer her any room. Part hoping to mess her up and part longing for that closeness to her. I saw a camera flash, and turned around to see Rachel taking a picture. She just smiled at me and signaled for me to turn around.

She nudged me trying to get me to move. I didn't budge. "Mature." she said.

"Someone told me to never give up the advantage." I said. She rolled her eyes. Her body brushed against my side as she lined up her shot. Her side was pressed up against my side. I couldn't breathe. I felt the overwhelming urge to touch her. Just as she took the shot, I stepped away to avoid the temptation.

"Yes!" she shouted. "That'll be 8 questions. When would you like to pay up?"

"How about no more than one a day?" I suggested.

"Deal. You can expect your first one tomorrow morning." she informed me.

"Fine. I think I'll hold onto my one question." I said.

"Suit yourself." she said. I laid down on the pool table. "What are you doing?"

"Taking a picture." I said simply.

"Well well. Not many beat Mr. Reedus in pool. That was a real pleasure to watch." Andy said smugly while pulling me off the table. "And this guy takes pictures of everything. Beware."

"Yeah. Yeah." I said walking towards the door. "Be right back."

I walked to the bar and waited for Travis to free up. It had gotten busy in there. I guess it was almost 9 now. "Hey Travis. Could I get 7 shots of Jack and another Amaretto Sour?" He nodded. I pulled out my phone and opened my instagram. I switched the pool table photo to black and white, added the caption _'Got my balls handed to me #Shark'_ and hit upload. I scrolled through a few tweets from fans and followed a few. I checked Anna's page. There was a tweet to her from BlondBaker _'Well well what do we have here?'_ a picture was attached. It was the picture Rachel had taken. Anna was right up against my side concentrating on taking her final shot while I was slightly glancing down at her. You couldn't tell it was me; which is probably for the best. But I couldn't figure out why she would tweet this; I can only imagine what Anna's husband will think when he sees it. I followed Rachel.

Just then my phone alerted me to a tweet. Anna had commented on my photo. _'Hope the stakes weren't too high.'_

I tweeted back. _'I never squelch on a bet.'_

She responded. _'Noted.'_

Rachel tweeted _'Norman Reedus followed me, bitches!'_ I laughed and faved it.

Travis set the drink down in front of me. I paid and headed back to the pool room. They had moved on to darts. It looked like Andy was winning.

"Here ya go everyone. Let's do a shot!" I said setting the tray down. I handed Anna the shot and drink, "Figured I owed you a drink."

"Why I do think you're trying to get me drunk Mr. Reedus." she said setting her drink down. I shook my head slightly and looked down. "Relax, I'm just messing with you." she said walking past me towards Rachel.

"What should we drink to?" Rachel asked.

"Season 5?" Josh suggested.

"New friends." I said simply

"To new friends and a killer Season 5!" Andy said. We all shot our drink and set it down.

"Let's get another." Cudlitz said.

"I'll pass. I'm driving." I said

"Me too." Said Rachel. Michael nodded and left the room.

I looked around for Anna. She had made her way to the Jukebox and was currently sipping on her drink. I walked over to join her. "Anything good on here?" I asked.

"I hope so. I put most of these CD's on here." she replied.

"No shit?" I said moving closer to look at the selection.

"Yeah, my dad owns this place. Most of these CD's have been on here since before I left almost 10 years ago." she said with a small smile.

"What brought you back?" I asked adding some money to the machine.

"Family." Was all she said. I nodded, knowing she didn't want to elaborate.

"Here's for you." Michael said handing Anna another shot. She nodded her thanks and threw the drink back.

"It's been a while since I've drank like this. I'm sure I'll regret it in the morning. I am getting up to make you breakfast after all." she said. The comment caused me to shake my head a little to clear an image of her in one of my t-shirts cooking me breakfast.

"I could come up another day." I offered.

"Nope." She said. She was a stubborn one.

"Anna, it's just past 9 and you want me there at 6:30? I know that means that you'll be up even earlier baking." I said.

"I premade most of the dough this evening. I just need to roll it and bake. Come by in the morning." she said hip checking me.

"Fine." I bumped her back. "Now be quiet so I can pick out some music."

"You should play this one." she pointed at a cover.

"Woman." I said playfully and gave her a look. She made the zipper motion on her lips.

I picked out a few songs and motioned back to the group. Tom Petty's "Won't Back Down" started up. "Good choice. 1 for 1." she nodded in approval.

We took a seat and watched the others play darts.

"So how long have you been making cakes?" I asked.

"This your question?" She asked. I laughed.

"Not a chance. Just making conversation." I said

She smirked. "I've been doing it out of my home for the last 4 years. I just opened the bakery a few months ago."

"I knew it wasn't here when we filmed last season. So where did you move from?" I asked.

She furrowed her brows trying to figure out how I knew that. "You said most of the CD's were on here from before you left." She nodded.

"We moved from Tupelo, Mississippi. You met Liza today; she's 12, but I have 2 other children. Dominic is 8 and Caster is 4, almost 5. Collin and I had Liza when we were 20. High school sweethearts." She said while swallowing the rest of her drink.

Collin; I repeated the name in my head. Anna's husband.

"What about you? I know you have a son." Anna said switching the focus off her.

"Yeah, Mingus. He's almost 15. He lives in New York with his mom, Helena. He's the most interesting person I know; he's really growing up to be a cool guy. He'll actually be down next week to visit for a while. I'll have to bring him in; he'll love it."

"Another?" Josh asked holding out 2 shots to us. Anna took it and smiled. I shook my head. She drank it before I could say anything.

"2 for 2." Anna said. My confusion must have shown cause she said "Songs. The Doors. Good choice. I'm going to get another drink." She said.

"You sure?" She frowned at me. "Ok, I'll get it. Another sour?" She shook her head no.

"Umm..a Mt. Dew..." she mumbled the last word.

"You want a Mt. Dew?" I asked

"A Mt. Dew Me?" she asked softly.

I scoffed. "You want me to order a Mt. Dew Me?" She nodded biting her lip.

"Fine. Fine. You owe me." I got up. She drew an x over her heart.

I returned minutes later a little red in the face. I sat the drink down in front of her and took a seat.

"Travis give you any problems?" she asked

"Pft...no. He just raised an eyebrow and made the drink. I'm pretty sure he thinks I'm gay now," I said shaking me head. Anna was laughing.

"Probably not. Travis is my brother. He knows I'm back here, so I'm sure he knows it's for me. He runs the place now that Dad's a little older." she said between sips.

"Oh," I said more to myself than to her. I could see it now. He had her eyes and nose. However, Travis was almost a foot taller and much more intimidating.

"Wanna play us?" Rachel called over. Her arm was linked around Josh's. Interesting I thought to myself.

"Sure I said. But we need a handicap. My partner may not be playing up to her potential." I said jokingly.

"Yeah right." Rachel said. "She plays better drunk. Come on Lisy."

She smiled at me and grabbed my arm to pull me along. Little did she know I was beginning to think I'd follow her anywhere.

A few more drinks and 2 games later. Josh and Rachel were submitting their surrender. Anna really was better tipsy. It was getting late. I needed to go.

"Andy, you ready to head out?" I called over to my friend who had spent most the night throwing darts. He nodded.

"I should go too. Rach?" Anna asked.

"I can drive you home. I'm leaving anyways." I offered. She nodded her thanks.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Rach. I'll be in early if you wanna come up." Anna said.

"I'll keep that in mind," the blond said with a smile.

Andy and I went to get the Jeep while Anna said good night to her brother. I waited for her at the door. When she walked out she swayed a little. She was more than a little tipsy. "Whoa there, Slugger. Let me help you." I held her elbow and helped her to the front seat. Andy was smiling in the back.

"Take me home first." He said.

It hadn't taken her long to get to the bar so I knew she lived in town, while Andy lived just outside. In doing this he was giving me more time with her. He knew she was married; that wasn't like him at all. I dropped him off, "See you in morning." I said.

"Bright and early," he replied. "Anna, it was a pleasure watching you kick my friends ass...in pool I mean. I hope to see you again soon."

"Bye, Andy." Anna replied sleepily.

"Where am I talking you?" I asked when I got in the Jeep

"Bakery. I live in the apartment above." she said before closing her eyes.

She really was beautiful. And she was funny, smart, strong, sarcastic. All those things together made her the most beautiful woman I'd ever met. And there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. She turned towards me causing her hair to cover her face. I gently brushed the hair back and tucked it behind her ear. I let my thumb trace her cheek before I pulled away and gripped my steering wheel. I pulled up to the bakery too soon.

"Anna," I said gently. Nothing.

"Anna," I called a little louder. She at least shifted some.

"Slugger, wake up," I had smoothing down her hair.

"Hmm...had the best dream. Norman Reedus said..." she dozed back off. I chuckled.

I decided I would try to wake her by opening her door. When I did, she sat up fast but relaxed when she saw me.

"Here I'll walk you to the door. Give me your keys" I said holding my hand out. Once to her feet, she hooked her arm through mine and laid her head on my arm. She sighed quietly. I opened the bakery and walked her inside.

"The stairs are just over there." she pointed past the kitchen, I nodded and headed that direction.

"Here are you keys." I said placing them in her hand. When our fingers touched I swore I saw her smile. "Sure you don't want to cancel the early morning? I can come by another day." And every other day I thought to myself.

"You're sweet." She said with a smile. "I actually can't wait to see you in the morning. Did I tell you that Daryl is my favorite?" she turned to face me.

I smiled and brushed some hair from her eyes, "As a matter of fact you did. And thanks."

"Welcome," she said grabbing my forearm. "Oh wow. Did you know that woman post photos of you and hashtag it arm porn or forearm porn? I can totally see why." she gave my arm a squeeze.

I laughed out loud. "Well aren't you a flattering little drunk. I should probably go." If she didn't take her hands off of me I was going to lose it.

She took a step forward and said with a hint of challenge, "I'm not drunk."

"Whatever you say, Slugger." I said taking a step back. I felt like my heart was going to beat out of my chest.

"Maybe you're right. I'll make you breakfast another day. I think I need to sleep." she said sounding like she was coming to. "I'll text you. When do you need that picture?"

"Whenever is fine." she sounded strange. Cut off. She nodded, released my arm and moved to the first step.

"Norman." she said with her back to me. I took a step forward and rested my hand on the back of her arm. She turned, leaned down and gave me a small quick kiss on my lips. I was so startled that I don't even know if I responded, which was probably for the best. "Thank you for tonight. Good night," she kissed my cheek and walked up the stairs.

I turned towards the door and brought my fingers up to my lips. Did that really just happen? That should not have just happened. I'll have to stay away. I would not never be that guy. I nodded and walked to the door. A shiny plaque caught my eye, so I walked over to read it.

'Dedicated in memory of my loving husband and a wonderful Dad, Collin Baker April 26, 1982 - June 21, 2013.'

Yesterday.

My phone altered me to a DM. From blondbaker. Rachel. _'Hey, we probably need to talk.'_


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all! Hope you had fun celebrating Father's day with your dad, hubby, uncle, brother, or whoever else has served that roll for you. At this point, I think I may be writing this for myself, which is ok. If you're still reading; I appreciate it and hope you enjoy! :)**

I spent the drive home and then the following thirty minutes on the phone with Rachel. She filled me in on bits and pieces of what happened to Collin Baker. She didn't elaborate much on the circumstances that brought Anna back to Senoia; she told me that was Anna's story to tell. Rachel's main reason for calling me was due to a conversation she had with Andy. He had told her that he knew I would never go after a married woman and thinking that she was was probably causing me issues.

She could tell by the way Anna was looking and acting around me that she was interested, but Rachel also knew that she was working through some things with Collin's one year anniversary. She told me that Anna was more flirtatious and bold around men when she had been drinking, and she had a feeling that Anna may say or do something when I drove her home. Rachel didn't want me feeling guilty; she was a sweet girl. She told me usually she would let Anna tell me in her own time, but by judging by the way I acted around her, I deserved a little upfront information.

I collapsed on my bed and let my mind go over everything that had happened today. There was no way that I could be this into a woman I barely know. But somehow I was. "Anna's not married." I let myself say out loud. A small smile came across my face and I drifted off.

The alarm on my phone pulled me out of my sleep much too early. I realized I had left it set for if I was meeting Anna at the bakery. I ran my fingers through my hair. I had two choices. I could get up and go by the bakery to see if she happened to be there, or I could back off for a few days, see if she got in contact with me. "Fuck." I said and grabbed my phone and dialed Andy's number.

"Well to what do I owe this early call?" Andy said.

"Dude, what do I do?" I asked not bothering to answer him.

"About Miss Annalise, I presume." he said. I grunted in response.

"She kissed me last night. Just a small one, and she was drunk. I was supposed to go over and pick up things to bring to set, but she said maybe she needed to sleep. Should I stop by anyways?" I asked.

"I'm guessing the kiss got to you, or you wouldn't be calling me." I didn't answer. "She's conflicted, Mate. Her husband was killed a year ago, she's raising 3 kids on her own, and she likes you but doesn't know if she should. I think you should go by and if she's there, stop in. Don't push the conversation, just be there with her."

"Yeah." I thought about what he said, "Yeah. Okay, man. Thanks. I'll see you later."

"See ya." Andy said.

I jumped in the shower and ran over what I might say to her if she's at the bakery. I was hoping she'd bring up the kiss from last night and what happened with her husband. I couldn't stop thinking about this woman. In the two days that I've known her, she's gotten into my head more than anyone else. She was constantly making me smile. I had to get to know her, but I had a feeling that this wasn't going to be easy. She was a widow and a single mom, and it was exactly a year ago that her husband was killed. This had complicated written all over it. I ran my hands down my face and grabbed a towel.

I hurried to get dressed so I could make it to the bakery in time. My phone alerted me to a tweet. It was Anna. _'WTF did I do' 30 sec ago_.

I cringed. No doubt she meant me. I wasn't sure how to feel about that. Guess I was just going to have to find out. I got on my bike and headed towards Senoia.

It was early, so the town was pretty quiet. This time I didn't have to search for a parking spot. The light to the bakery was on, and I could just see Anna back in the kitchen. I hopped off and knocked on the glass. She peeked out the kitchen, saw me, and ducked back inside. I couldn't help but laugh. She definitely wasn't expecting me. I took a step back when she headed my way.

"Norman. I wasn't expecting you. I thought we agreed on another morning." she said not looking at me.

"Oh we did. I forgot to change my alarm, so I thought I'd come and check on you. How are you feeling this morning?" I asked.

She just laughed. "Uhh...why don't you come in." she turned and headed back to the kitchen. "Honestly, I have a killer headache, and I'm feeling a little stupid. I decided that I was going to bake you something and bring it by where you were filming. A peace offering if you will."

"Peace offering?" I said sounding a little confused.

"You know, for assaulting you last night." she said with a laugh, but her blush showed her embarrassment.

"Anna, I hardly call a little kiss an assault." I reassured her.

"Physical and verbal. I do believe there was forearm groping and porn mentioned." she laughed. "I'm sorry, I'm a terrible drunk." She still wasn't looking at me.

"Anna, look at me." she looked up through her lashes. Shit Norman, hold it together. "Do I look bothered to you?" She shook her head.

"It's cause I'm not. The kiss was nice." I said taking a step closer to her. I brushed her hair from her face. "And I don't mind you touching me." I took a step back to show her that she could set the pace. "The forearm porn thing was kinda funny though."

She smiled at me. "Yes, well, it's a real thing. Ok then. We should probably talk about some stuff. Want to come back and help me?" She nodded towards the kitchen.

"Yeah. Put me to work." I said.

" I already have the donuts done. They just need iced. I don't sell donuts cause you have to bake them so early, but I really like making them sometimes. I'm also making me turnovers, chocolate croissants and danishes." she said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "Yeah I bake when I need to think. Why don't you finish up the donuts; ice them however you want."

"Ok, but they won't be as pretty as yours would be." I said grabbing a spatula.

We worked in awkward silence for about 5 minutes.

Finally she stated talking.

"I got married pretty young; like a year after high school. I had known Collin since middle school, and we had been together most of high school. He was my first and only love." she kept her hands busy while she talked, so I kept working too, but I stopped to watch her occasionally.

"I was in my second year of college when I got pregnant with Liza. Collin was in the police academy at the time. His instructor had a friend on the force in Tupelo that said they were looking for some new officers, so Collin applied when he graduated. I was 6 months pregnant when we moved. Leaving my family was one of the hardest things I had ever done, but I soon settled into our new home. I made new friends, and before I knew it Colin was being promoted, and I was pregnant with our third child. We were happy." I saw a tear roll down her cheek. I stopped what I was doing and moved closer to her. She gave me a small smile and waited a bit before she continued.

"It was about a month after Caster's third birthday that I got the call from his partner saying Colin had been shot and that I needed to get to the hospital. He wasn't even working that day. He had been out with some guys celebrating a friends retirement. When I got there, they wouldn't let me see him. I was told that they were in a gas station when some kid tried to rob the place. Collin tried to keep things from escalating, but when the kid heard the sirens, he shot Collin twice in the chest. He died before I ever got to see him."

The silent tears were coming down now. I walked over to her and pulled her into a hug. After a few moments she rested her head on my shoulder. "I'm not that person, you know. The one who cries about the hand they're delt. I've had some crappy things happen, but this, this fucking took the cake for me."

"I'm so sorry, Anna. I wish that never would have happened to you. You deserve your husband, and your kids deserve their dad." I said into her hair. And I really meant it. She wrapped her arms around me, and I rubbed my hands down her back.

She pulled away slightly and wiped the tears from her face, "Damnit, I'm sorry. What a terrible way to start the morning."

We both laughed. "What's terrible is my icing hack job. Geez." I said pointing to the poorly frosted donuts.

She laughed and smiled at me, " You're right. Those are terrible."

We settled into a comfortable silence and finished up the rest of the sweets.

"Want some coffee?" she asked as she put the last of the turnovers in the oven. I nodded.

She poured two cups and motioned for me to follow her to the front.

"You know, I've always wondered how Norman Reedus took his coffee." she said with a laugh.

"Lots of creamer and sugar." I said

"Noted." she replied. "Soo..."

"So..." I repeated.

"I'm kind of a mess." she stated.

"Me too." I replied.

"No, I'm like stages of grieve, chasing kids around, bakes cupcakes so I don't freak out kind of a mess."

"Anna, I spend more time away form my home than actually in it, have fans who follow me around and are willing to wait hours to see me, and I'm a 45 year old never married man with a 15 year old son. I'm just a different kind of mess. I'm not going anywhere." I said reaching for her hand.

"So..." she said again.

"So, we can take this slow." I said and Anna nodded.

"Slow?" She repeated.

"Slow." I assured her.

"Would asking you to be my date to Travis' wedding this weekend qualify as slow?" she asked. "Are you even going to be in town?"

"Actually, I will be." I said with a smile. "And I think that definitely qualifies as slow."

"Judging by what I saw last night, I'm guess that Rachel will be asking Josh. Do you think anyone else would be interested in going?" she asked hesitantly. I raised my eyebrows.

"It's just that I don't know if I'm ready for people to be asking questions. You know what I mean?" she said looking at our hands. I squeezed her's.

"I do. And I think Andy and Steven would be happy to come; they both really like Travis. I'll check with them." I said. The timer to the oven brought us back to the present.

She got up and headed for the kitchen. Once everything was out, we started boxing them up so I could take them to the set.

"Shit. I brought my bike. I didn't really think you'd be here this morning." I said.

"Oh that's ok. My mom actually stayed last night, so I'll just follow you with them, if that's ok?"

"Yeah, that would be great." I said giving her a kiss on the cheek. She blushed, and I smiled.

We loaded everything into her Traverse, and I hoped on my bike.

"You know," she said walking over to me. "I always thought the pictures of you on a bike were the sexiest, but pictures just don't do you justice. Maybe we can go for a ride sometime?"

"I thank... Yeah, I'd like that." I stumbled through my words. Why does this woman get to me so much?

She followed me to the set, and I told the security there that Anna was to be cleared and anytime she shows up, someone should let me know. We walked over to the trailers and caught Andy walking out.

"We come bearing gifts," I said holding up the boxes.

"Excellent." he said.

"Please keep in mind that I did not ice those donuts." Anna said nudging me.

Andy just smiled, took the boxes, and walked off.

"I uh should get into wardrobe." I said looking at my watch.

"Right. Right." Anna said sticking her hands in her pockets.

"Are you free tonight? We could have dinner. You could bring the kids?" I suggested.

"Umm..actually the kids are staying with Travis tonight. Final overnight with Uncle Trav." she said. "So I'm free for dinner."

"Great. How about 7? I'll come pick you up." I said taking a step towards her.

"Sounds perfect." she said closing the gap and giving me quick kiss. This time I was ready.

"I'll see you later." she said turning around.

"Slugger?" I said causing her to turn around. "Thanks for opening the door."

She smiled and said, "Thanks for coming."


	7. Chapter 7

Work was a real bitch today. Not only did I want it to be 7pm already, but shit just wasn't coming together today. We had to film a few scenes several time, and I got another fuckin black eye from a punch that wasn't pulled in time. During our down times, Andy had grilled me on what happened this morning with Anna.

I couldn't get a certain question off my mind. Andy had asked me what I thought about Anna's children. I told him I had only met one, but he said that wasn't what he meant. I knew that getting into a relationship with Anna meant I would be having one with her kids as well. Hell, I've been through the same thing with Mingus, but 3 kids was a little different story. Liza seemed sweet, but I'd yet to meet the boys. I was curious as to how they would take their mother dating someone. Liza liked me now, but she may hate me soon. And there was always the chance that Anna wouldn't introduce me to her kids for a while; I'd done the same thing with a few women I've dated. Shit, this was going to be complicated.

"Norman, damnit, snap out of it. I'm ready to get this day from hell over." Andy shouted over to me. I'd missed my cue.

"Fuck, sorry man. I'm ready." I said grabbing my crossbow.

Once we'd finished that scene, we had to wait around about 30 minutes until our next one, so Andy and I took a seat in one of the empty rooms.

"You're thinking about what we talked about earlier aren't you?" Andy asked.

"Yeah I am. I'm a little insecure in thinking that she might not want to introduce me to her kids. Mingus is in town next week and I'm already planning to bring him in to meet Anna. Maybe I'm jumping too fast into all this." I said while lighting up a cigarette.

"I think you're doing fine. You're being conscious of Anna's situation, but you're thinking ahead. That's good." he said talking slow and patting my head like a child. "You're working on a grown up relationship."

"Pfft." I said pushing his hand away. My phone buzzed. It was a text from Anna.

"_I figured maybe we could graduate to actual text messaging. Hope you're not as tired as I am. Just wondering how I should dress for tonight?" _she wrote.

_"I don't know...there's something that sneaky about writing in DM's. :) I'm beat, and today has been a bitch. I'm thinking casual. I'll be in jeans and t-shirt." _I wrote back.

"_Sounds perfect. I'll let you get back to work. See you later._" she replied.

_"Great. Be there at 7. Bye."_ I responded.

"I'm guessing by your smile that you were talking to Ms Baker." Andy said. "I like seeing you happy, man." Andy said.

"You're such a chick." I said with a smile.

"If anyone's the bitch in this bromance, it's you mate." Andy said.

"Excuse me, Mr. Reedus. There's a woman here to see you. Said you'd want her to be cleared." one of the guards said to me.

"Huh, maybe it's Anna." I said looking to Andy while getting to my feet. Andy followed me to the barricades.

"Why the hell aren't I on the clearance list?" I recognized that voice.

"Son of a.." I said.

"Bitch." Andy finished. "What the fuck is she doing here?" Andy said. Ever since Cecelia said something snotty to his daughter, Andy's had no patience for her.

"I shrugged my shoulders. Guess I should have called her back yesterday." I said over my shoulder.

"Well, tell her to piss off. I'll see ya back at the house." Andy said walking away.

Cecelia had a huge smile on her face and was dressed as if she was shopping in L.A. I gave her a tight lipped smile and walked up to her.

"There you are baby. Would you please tell security that I'm allowed on set." she said linking her arm in mine.

"What are you doing in Senoia, Cecelia?" I asked while removing my arm from hers.

"Well if you would have called me back, Silly, you would have known that I was going to be in Atlanta for a few days, and I wanted to see you." She said giving me a flirty smile.

"Well I didn't call you back, so maybe that should have been your answer." I replied. "Look, I have to get back to filming, and I'm not even sure why you're here. You effectively ended things when you tweeted and DM'd all that jealous bullshit." I told her.

She frowned. "But Norman, I was just a little insecure. I kept seeing all these pics of you with co-stars and fans." she said trying to wrap her hands around my waist."

"No." I said stopping her hands before the touched me. "We're done. I don't have time for that shit. Sorry you wasted your time driving down. Have a safe trip back, Cecelia." I said and turned around.

"Norman!" she called, but I didn't turn around.

"Do not put her on the cleared list," I told the guard who had gotten me. He nodded his head. Well acting irritated won't be hard to do, I thought walking up the steps into the house.

"She gone?" Andy asked from the couch.

"Yep." I said letting make-up touch me up.

He nodded and stood up.

"Let's do this," I said.

I really just wanted to sit on my deck, eat a steak and have a few beers. I wonder if Anna would be up for that? I could stop by the store on my way home to clean up. But then she might feel trapped at my house since I was supposed to be picking her up. I ran my hands through my hair, "Stop over thinking this, Norman." I said to myself. I decided to call her. After a few rings she picked up.

"Hello." she answered. Her voice sounded so warm.

"Hey, Anna. So I wanted to give you few options. I was thinking we could either go to Kobe's or Thai in Peachtree or we could grill out at my house." I suggested.

She didn't say anything.

"I was just thinking that after last night and this morning we could use an evening on my deck with a few drinks." I explained.

"I...I wouldn't want you to have to drive me back into town." she said. "I could just meet you at your house."

"I don't mind. I have an early call time, so I could just crash at Andy's if I don't want to drive back. He wouldn't care. Plus, I was going to pick you up on my bike. I know you said you wanted to go for a ride sometime." I offered.

"Hmm...that does sound like fun. Guess I need to change out of my sundress," she said with a laugh. My mind went to all kinds of bad places. "Ok, you can pick me up."

"Cool. Oh, are you a steak, chicken or veggie kind of girl?" I asked.

"Steak." she said.

"My kinda girl. See ya in a bit." I said. Cecelia didn't it any meat. Fucking drove me crazy.

"Bye," Anna said.

I headed to the store to grab a few steaks, some veggie kabobs, stuff for baked potatoes, some wine and beer. I talked with a few fans, took some pictures with them, headed to the checkout, and took a picture of all the stuff in my cart. Good thing my backpack was almost empty today, I thought walking out to my bike.

The ride home gave me time to think about my plan for tonight. I just wanted to spend some time getting to know her. What did she like to do in her free time? What kind of movies and music did she like? More than anything I wanted her to be comfortable; make sure she knew I had no expectations of tonight. Before I knew it, I was pulling into my drive.

I took a second to send out a tweet with my shopping cart picture attached. _'Guess who's manning the grill tonight? Hope you're hungry.' _

I threw all the food in the refrigerator and headed to my bathroom for a quick shower. I stood in front of my closest looking for what to wear. I had so many t-shirts. Mostly bands, movies or fan gifts. I decided on my STP shirt, grabbed some black jeans, and threw on some boots. I opened my TL on my laptop. Well that comment had gotten some fun responses. I had some funny fans.

I had a reply notification from bakersdoitbest. _'Starving. How'd you know I liked red? ;)' 5 mins ago._

I decided to DM her. _'Lucky guess?'_ I wrote.

_'Works for me. Would you mind coming to the front door to my apartment? It's around the back of the bakery.'_ she wrote.

_'Yeah, that might be best. Good thinkin, Slugger. Be there in a bit' _I responded. No doubt that if people saw me and Anna walk out of her bakery, we'd be posted all over Twitter and the net.

_'I'll be here.'_ she wrote.

I grabbed my spare helmet and headed out the door. I wanted to get Anna some flowers. Luckily there was a florist a few shops down from the bakery, so they wouldn't get destroyed on my bike.

I parked behind Anna's Traverse and walked around the corner just in time to see a woman was locking the door.

"Excuse me. Would you mind if I just ran in a grabbed some flowers really quick?" I asked, hoping she would show me mercy.

"I'm sorry. I'm all closed up." she said and then turned around. "Oh!"

"I'm sorry. I didn't know what time you closed." I said.

"It's ok!" she said unlocking the door. "Do you know what kind of flowers you want?"

"Umm...I think, but I thought I'd check out what you have also." I said checking out the cases.

"Sure, let me know if you need any help." she said and stepped aside.

I didn't want to get roses. They're nice, but common. Lilies were pretty; my mom always liked those. I was looking to see if she had and Gerber daisies. There is something beautiful yet simple about them. She had orange and some red ones.

"I think I'll take a dozen of the daisies. Half and half." I said turning to look at her. I laughed when I saw her typing away on her phone.

She laughed guiltily, "I'm sorry. I'm just so surprised and excited to be standing here with you. The daisies are lovely. I'll get them ready for you." she said walking towards the flower case.

I watched her arrange and wrap them and handed her a card. When she handed me it back with my flowers, she asked, "I'm sorry. I'd never forgive myself if I didn't ask. Would you mind taking a picture with me?" She asked.

"Sure. It's the least I can do since I made you reopen your shop." I said taking her phone. I turned around so I could capture a picture of both of us.

"Thank you! My friends will be so jealous." she said taking her phone back.

"Welcome. What was your name?" I asked.

"Danielle." she said with a big smile.

"Thanks, Danielle. Have a good night." I said walking towards the door.

I checked my watch. 10 till. That seemed good. I walked around to her apartment door and rang the bell. Anna opened the door few minutes later.

"Look at you being all early." she said with a smile. "Oh! What happened to your eye?" she asked bringing her hand up to lightly brush the bruise under my right eye.

I smiled at her concern. "It's no big deal. Some guy didn't pull his punch in time. I get a few every season." I said with a shrug.

"Oh." Her eyes lit up when she noticed the flowers in my hand. "For me?"

"Nope, someone gave them to me." I said joking with her. I handed her the flowers.

"Thanks, Norman. They're beautiful. Let me put these in some water. I'll be right back." she said turning around.

I walked over to my bike and grabbed the spare helmet. When she walked out, I handed it to her. "Oh, I'm going to have great first date hair," she said smirking at me.

"Me too." I said putting my helmet on and straddling the bike. She put her hand on my shoulder to steady herself as she got on behind me. I felt her thighs rest against mine; probably a good think she didn't wear that dress. She wrapped her hands and around my waist and I started the bike up.

When we drove out of town she said loudly, "This is so much fun. I see why you drive it a lot."

I nodded, "I don't have one in New York, so I have to get it all out of my system down here."

Feeling Anna pressed against me was amazing and torturous at the same time. I couldn't help but let my mind wander to what it would be like to have her legs wrapped around me in a completely different situation. Oh God, I'd better calm down before we get to my place.

We pulled up, and I waited for her top hop off before I moved.

"Wow, this place is great. Very private." she said looking around.

"Yeah, I like it. I've been here since season 2. It's my home away from home. Come on, I'll show you around." I said taking her helmet.

"It's pretty simply. Like me. I like a more laid back home." I said opening the door. "Living room. Kitchen and dining room is right over there. My bedroom and bathroom down that hall. And Mingus' room and my office over there. The basement is finished too. This is my favorite," I said pointing towards the sliding glass doors.

"I spend a lot of time out here." I said walking out onto the deck. "Nice view of a little lake, lots of trees and my hot tub. I like to unwind and listen to nature. I don't get to do that much in New York." I said with a laugh.

"I see why you like it so much. You have a great place. Ever thought about living out here full time?" Anna asked.

I rubbed my chin, "I mean it's crossed my mind, but New York is home. Mingus is there and I like the loud, busy, crazy atmosphere of the city. I kinda live away from it in a sense, but it's been working it's way to my neighborhood for a while. Ever been?" I asked while walking over to light the grill.

"No, I've always meant to go. Just never had the chance." she replied.

"Well, if you ever get the chance to go, I'll show you around." I said. I didn't want to just ask her to go with me someday. Not yet anyways.

"Yeah, that would be fun." she replied.

"Let's grab the food and grab something to drink." I said nodding to the door.

Then I heard a voice I thought I wouldn't have to hear again.

"Who the fuck is she?!" Cecelia shouted!

**Hey friends! Sorry for the cliffy. I'll be MIA for the next 2 weeks on vacation, but I'm hoping to get some time to write while I'm away. If I do I'll try to get a chapter up for you guys while I'm gone. Until then!**

**Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think!**


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